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Mellody Hobson on Being "Color Brave," Marrying George Lucas and Much More

Mellody Hobson, one of the most successful women in business, president of Ariel Investments and vice-chair of the board at Starbucks, among many other accolades, sat down with Arianna Huffington for the latest Thrive Global Podcast and shared everything from how her rough upbringing made her the person she is today to how she plans on instilling that same bravery and drive in her daughter. 

Hobson, who married famed director George Lucas in 2013 and welcomed their daughter Everest, 5, via gestational surrogate shortly after, has her mother’s drive to thank for her own self-determination. Having grown up with little to nothing, Hobson told Huffington that despite her success, she doesn’t take life for granted. 

"My mother worked extraordinarily hard for lots of reasons, I get all of my work ethic from her,” she recalled. “She didn't believe that you should ever, ever sleep past 6:00 in the morning no matter what. It didn't matter if it was summer vacation, or a Sunday, she thought the world would be passing you by, and all of that still lives in me. But, despite her ethic and trying so hard, she had a very hard time making ends meet, and because of that, on many occasions, we would get evicted, or our phone disconnected, or our lights turned off, and some times we lived in some of the apartment buildings she was developing, in mostly abandoned apartments."

Hobson continued that while she’s met her own financial security, she’ll never forget that fear of having nothing.

“I still work today as if I need the meal at the end of the day, and I put all of myself into my effort on a daily basis because I don't know how to work any other way,” she explained. “… I know how to hustle and so I think that lessens the anxiety of knowing you just deal with what comes, and you have confidence in yourself that you can prevail."

She’s also well aware that her daughter, Everest, will have a very different upbringing than her own. 

“She has won the birth lottery,” Hobson acknowledged of her daughter, reveling that she makes it a point to teach her little one not to take it for granted. 

“You know, Warren Buffet says, ‘That if you're born American, you've won the birth lottery,’ and in America she's won the birth lottery. She has two loving parents; she will have the best education; she's been around the world already at five years old; she will have experiences that people will never have -- these are facts,” Hobson continued. “I don't want her to ever take that for granted. I want her to live a life of gratitude and appreciation. I want her to understand the responsibilities that she has because she has been given so much, and I want to make sure she pays the world back for that."

Listen back to the full episode in the audio below for more, including to hear Hobson's important concept of being "color brave" and not "color blind."

The Thrive Global Podcast with iHeartRadio, hosted by Arianna Huffington, where she speaks with notable leaders, celebrities, athletes and influencers to learn how prioritizing well-being — instead of burnout and overwork — has made them happier and more successful. This podcast provides tips, tools and microsteps to transform your life and go from surviving to thriving.

The Thrive Global Podcast is brought to you by Sleep Number


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